Posts from — December 2015

Even with family visiting from out-of-town, it’s important to keep dinners simple during Christmas week. This one-dish chicken dinner is a snap to put together. Add a simple green salad and a side of rice, mixed grains, or quinoa and you’ve got it made.

Easy One-Dish Citrus Chicken

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 2 fresh bay leaves, torn in 3 or 4 pieces (or 1 torn dry bay leaf)
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 skinless boneless chicken thighs
• 4 bone-in skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 lemons, thinly sliced
• 2 oranges, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon honey

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More than 20 years ago, I hosted an annual holiday party. It was one of my most popular themes. For whatever reason (kids, overwhelmed moms, holiday craziness, etc.) it fell by the wayside.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, I was out with my longtime friends, Laura and Mary, who happen to be sisters. We were reminiscing about how fun that party always was and I decided it was time to resurrect the Holiday Potluck Appetizer Party.

Here is how it works: I find a bunch of great appetizer recipes. I pick the party date and time and email the invite and recipes. I tell the invitees to “Reply All” and let everyone know which recipe they will be making. Everyone makes their dish, and brings it to the party, and we all celebrate the season while enjoying a great variety of yummy food, a signature cocktail or two, and a full bar. A fun and festive night is had by all – with minimal effort.

The competition for which recipe to make is fierce. Within 10 minutes, three of the invitees had responded with their choices. An hour or two later, all recipes were accounted for. This is one of the best ways I’ve ever found to get people to RSVP lickety-split. Try it, and you’ll be tempted to organize all your entertaining this way!

Only one little problem – since I’ve been away from blogging for an extended period, I’ve gotten out of the habit of taking photos of all food ever served in my home. This is a real shame because the spread looked beautiful! The couples went all out in their execution and presentation. At least I have the photos from the original recipe links to share with you. The only two food photos I took are of the onion dip and the Greek dip. And those weren’t taken until the day after, since I took the leftovers to a family party the following night.

Time will fix that little glitch and I’ll be back in the swing of it soon enough. I hope you enjoy these eight great appetizers and maybe they’ll inspire you to throw an impromptu party of your own.

P.S. Find my signature cocktail below the recipe links.

photo and recipe via

Amy made Meatball Subs On-a-Stick. She said that it took longer than the recipe says for them to bake and brown.

photo and recipe via

Creamy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms courtesy of Lisa. By the way, button mushroom is the old-school name for your everyday white mushroom.

photo and recipe via

Anne made Herb Cheese Monkey Bread – even though she was under the weather and didn’t make it to the party. Annie, we missed you and your pretty face! xoxo

recipe via

Tram chose the Caramelized Onion Dip to bring, even though, with 21-month-old twins, she didn’t have time to make it. Her awesome cook husband, Steve, took the reigns on this one.

He sent me a photo-text message asking if he needed to double the recipe. The answer is “no” – the recipe already makes enough to feed a huge crowd!  And feed two crowds, it did; eighteen people at the appetizer party and at least 40 more people at our family holiday party the next night. This is a true crowd-pleaser!! In case you don’t know what those pink things are on Steve’s face – they’re the onion goggles that I gave Tram back in our Valley Dish days.

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When I returned to posting last month I mentioned that there had been some changes at our house.

Here is change number one…

… and change number two.

Meet Bombay and Bailey.

If you’re wondering if they are named after Bailey’s Irish Cream and Bombay Sapphire Gin. Why, yes, they are.

Our first pet was a dog named Kahlua. Our second dog was Tanqueray. Both were Keeshonds. Once I have a theme, I stick with it.

I found Bombay outside a friend’s house back in May and brought him home.

It was love at first sight.

Problem was, that Bombay was separated from his litter-mates too early and didn’t know how to play without biting hard and scratching like crazy.

After nearly 2 months of torn-up hands and arms, I went to the Humane Society and brought home, swwet Bailey.

Bailey taught Bombay to be civilized. She is an absolute sweetheart but is also a major troublemaker. She may be small but she has no fear and no shame. At least Bombay will wait until you’re not looking to do something bad. Bailey will do it right in front of you and not care how much trouble she gets in. She has racked up more timeouts than your average toddler. Her timeouts consist of being locked in the laundry room. She hates it but it doesn’t deter her at all!

The two of them even have their own Bragelina-style name – Bombailey.

Bombailey has caused a huge dilemma for me this Christmas. What am I going to do with two kittens and a Christmas tree filled with Waterford, fragile glass, vintage and crystal ornaments?

I’ve posted my concerns about it on Facebook for weeks now and my friends have been of little help, basically mocking and taunting me with frightening (OK, and funny) videos and photos like this and this.

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It is always a good idea to use seasonal produce in a centerpiece, especially on a Thanksgiving table. After all, the holiday is all about bounty and nothing looks more bountiful than beautiful fruits and vegetables.

Of course, we don’t want to be wasteful either, so using that produce for meals in the days to follow is a must!

Our Thanksgiving centerpiece consisted of pomegranates, tangerines, persimmons (later used in a salad) baby zucchini, and pattypan squash (sautéed as a side dish that weekend) along with the winter squashes of butternut, acorn, and delicata, used for the following soup recipe.

The recipe is the same one I used for a cooking class last Wednesday at Les Gourmettes Cooking School. The only difference was that instead of seven cups of mixed squash, I used 3 cups of butternut along with red bell peppers and sweet potatoes.  The variation for that soup is included.

Here is one more photo from our holiday dinner – one of the place settings.

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As you know, I am not a baker. I don’t enjoy it. I don’t have the patience for it. I am not good at it. Even so, there are times when I do have to bake. When teaching cooking, for example.

This last recipe from my “Gifts of Food” class at Les Gourmettes is dozy. I decided to add it to the class for one reason and one reason only – the packaging.

Big mistake for a person who doesn’t enjoy baking!

But sometimes, the packaging is everything.

But come on! How cute is this cookie, that looks like a mini double-crust lattice pie, in an adorable little scalloped window box, on top of a doily and all tied up with baker’s twine?!? To me – it’s Irresistible!

I’m sure most of us can admit that we’ve bought something only because of the packaging and not so much for what was inside. These bad decisions not only happen when purchasing something, though. Making this cookie to teach in front of a class of students is a case in point.

In my defense, I do know how to and do enjoy doing lattice work with pie dough. On pies! Turns out that making lattice work with cookie dough is not the same thing! Not by a mile! Pie dough is flexible and easy to work with. Cookie dough is delicate, it tears and falls apart, and needs to be refrigerated over and over again.

• Time and Patience!
• Qualities a baker has.
• Qualities I do not!

So if you’re a baker – this recipe is for you!

If you’re not, but you have a friend who is – a very good friend who will let you call the cookies your own – have them make them for you!

Or just make the dough, roll it out and use decorative cookie cutters on it. The cookies are not only pretty – they are quite delicious too.

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Instead of the recipe I was planning to post today, I just have to wish a happy birthday to my beautiful newlywed daughter, Marissa.

Thank you for allowing me to be so instrumental in planning your big day. It was my joy and my honor, just as it has been to be your mom for these blessed years. The world is brighter and more beautiful because you are in it.

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